The Accident
by Mulderette
Summary: A terrible New Year's Eve accident throws the team into turmoil.
1. Chapter 1

**AN: ****Warning: Cliffhanger ahead.**

xxxxx

"Okay, beef fried rice, chicken lo mein, chicken chow mein, two pu pu platters," Tony recited, reading from the list he had just scribbled out on a piece of paper. "Am I missing anything?"

"General Gao's chicken," McGee added.

"Chicken and broccoli," Abby chimed in.

Tony rolled his eyes. "Want to tell me again why I'm the one stuck having to pick all this up on New Year's Eve?" Tony asked, his reluctance to do so obvious.

"Because I said so, DiNozzo," Gibbs said, re-entering the bullpen area.

"And normally I would have no problem with that, boss...but we are going off duty now and technically..." Tony trailed off when he saw the way Gibbs was staring at him. "Fine. I'll do it," he grumbled. "Is someone at least going to come with me?" he asked, giving his very best pitiful look, which was ignored by everyone.

"I'll be at your house around seven," Tony said to Gibbs as he put on his coat and draped a scarf around his neck. "Next time any of you needs a favor, don't come crying to me." Tony glared at the team and headed toward the elevator in a huff.

"Aww, maybe I should have gone with Tony," Abby said after the elevator doors had closed. "Now, I feel bad."

"That is just what he wants, Abby," Ziva said. "Tony is a big boy. It will not kill him to pick it up himself."

"Besides, Abs, you're coming to the party with me, remember?" McGee said, smiling at her.

"I know, Timmy," Abby said, absently tugging on her pigtail. "But maybe you and I should have just picked up the food ourselves."

"Ziva's right. It won't kill him," Gibbs said. "Besides, Tony practically goes right by the Imperial Palace coming from his place to mine. It makes sense for him to pick it up."

xxxxx

By the time he got to his car in the parking garage, Tony was pretty much over his momentary annoyance with the team. It really wasn't any big deal to pick up the food. It wasn't like he had to pay for it. Gibbs had given him the money. This little New Year's party was Gibbs' gift to the team. It had come as quite a surprise when their boss had suggested it, but none of them had any real plans and they had all accepted Gibbs' invitation. Tony was looking forward to it. He pulled out his phone and called in the order for the food, requesting it be ready for pickup at around quarter to seven. He was assured that it would be ready then. Tony then started towards home. He would have just about enough time to change his clothes before leaving to go to Gibbs' house. He got to his apartment and stripped off his suit, changing into a pair of well-worn jeans and a white pullover sweater. He then headed back out to pick up the food before going on to Gibbs' house.

The Imperial Palace was very crowded and it was already quarter past seven by the time Tony finally got through the line and reached the takeout window to pick up his order. He then headed back out to his car. He was going to call Gibbs and let him know he was running a bit late, but as he rummaged through his pockets for his phone, he realized that he had changed coats and must have left it in the one he had been wearing earlier. "Oh well, I won't be that late," he muttered to himself as he pulled the car out into traffic. He had been driving for about five minutes when, out of the corner of his eye, he saw a car weaving up ahead on the opposite side of the road. "What the hell..." People were already drunk at seven o'clock? That was just crazy. Suddenly, the car sped up and swerved into his lane. Tony tried to avoid the collision, but there was nowhere for him to go. The car came barreling into his front end, causing his vehicle to spin around, out of control. At that point, another car hit his passenger side and Tony knew no more as his car flipped over and he lay, unmoving, in a mass of twisted metal, the whiteness of his sweater now marred by spots of crimson.

xxxxx

"Tony would call if he was going to be this late," Abby stated quietly, with none of her usual exuberance. It was after eight and there had been no word from him.

"McGee, try his cell again," Gibbs ordered. The churning in his gut was worsening with each passing minute. At first, they had thought Tony was just getting back at them with some kind of prank because of the Chinese food. As the time passed though, they knew Tony would not carry things this far.

"Gibbs..." Ziva's voice was barely a whisper, but there was urgency in her eyes as she looked out the front window. Gibbs followed her gaze and saw the flashing lights of a police cruiser parked in front of his house. He could feel his heart plummet as he slowly walked to the front door, knowing he did not want to hear the bad news that was about to be delivered. He opened the door just as the officer reached the top step of his porch.

"Hi, Gibbs," Officer Andrew Moore greeted him, hat in hands, looking very subdued.

"Andy..." Gibbs waited for a moment then went on, his eyes looking tortured. "It...its Tony isn't it? He's not...he..." He knew Ducky was beside him, felt the older man's hand resting supportively on his back. The rest of the team stood behind them, waiting in tense anticipation.

"He's alive," Andy reassured him quickly. "At least he was when I left the scene. When I saw it was one of yours, I knew you'd want to know. Got here as quick as I could."

"What happened?" Gibbs asked, doing an admirable job of keeping his voice strong and steady in spite of how he was feeling inside, his stomach tied up in multiple knots.

"Drunk driver...went flying the wrong way into Tony's lane and slammed him. Then, Tony must have lost control of his car. Another driver couldn't stop in time and hit him too, and someone else ran into that guy. It was a huge mess..." Andy shook his head in disgust. "Happy friggen new year."

"Where is he?" Gibbs asked. He didn't want to hear any more. Now his priority was getting to Tony as quickly as possible.

"Washington Hospital Center."

Gibbs nodded. "Thank you, Andy. I appreciate you coming to tell me in person."

"No problem. It was the least I could do," Andy said, nodding. He started to leave then turned back to Gibbs, his expression somber. "Tony's a good guy...I hope he'll be alright."

"He will be," Gibbs muttered. He could not allow himself to even consider any other possibility.


	2. Chapter 2

_AN: Wow! I can't begin to tell you how blown away I was for the reviews for the first chapter of this one. Thank you all so much. I hope I thanked you all personally (except for the anonymous readers who I couldn't write back to) and I appreciate each and every comment. _

_Here's the next part – It is not a happy chapter and there are still no easy answers to be found so the cliffhanger warning still stands, I'm afraid... Also, the medical stuff is definitely not as detailed as it could be so I hope you'll forgive that._

_On another note, Happy New Year to all of you wonderful readers. In my first year of discovering this show and entering this fandom, your comments have meant so much. And for all of the exceptional writers out there, whose work I have enjoyed, I'm looking forward to all the creativity that 2011 inspires :)_

_*Spoilers for SWAK in this chapter.  
_

xxxxx

"I knew I should have gone with him," Abby's words broke the tension-filled silence that had hung over the team since they had arrived at the hospital.

"How would that have helped, Abby?" Ziva snapped. "Then you would have just been in the accident as well." She was feeling very badly that she hadn't gone with him herself and even worse about what she had said. She felt like her words had somehow jinxed him.

"I might not have," Abby protested. "If I had gone with him, it could have changed things in some way. A few seconds could have made all the difference."

"We were only fooling around," McGee said. "None of us wanted anything bad to happen to Tony."

"But it did." Gibbs had just re-entered the waiting area. He had gone to fill out forms and let it be known that he was Tony's next of kin, in case any kind of decisions regarding Tony's treatment needed to be made. He had his own guilt over the matter. It was his idea for the party. As host, he should have just picked up the damn Chinese food himself. He'd pretty much ordered Tony to get it when it was more than obvious that his senior field agent had not wanted to do so. If anyone was to blame, he himself was.

"Tony would not want any of you blaming yourselves," Ducky commented quietly. He had been down in Autopsy for the whole Chinese food discussion, but it was easy to put the pieces together.

"You didn't make him pick up the food, Duck..." Gibbs stated.

"And you weren't the fool who was drinking and driving, Jethro," Ducky stated. "If anyone is to be blamed, it is that man...not any of you."

Gibbs didn't bother to respond. Ducky just didn't understand. He had put Tony right in the path of that drunk driver and there was nothing Ducky could say to erase that fact. They retreated back into silence then and resumed waiting to hear some kind of word on Tony's condition.

Finally, a doctor approached them. "Hello," he said, glancing at the chart he was holding. "I'm looking for a Leroy Jethro Gibbs?"

"That's me," Gibbs said as he quickly got to his feet and approached the doctor. "How is he, Doctor?"

"I'm Dr. O'Brien," the doctor replied, extending his hand towards Gibbs. "I understand you are listed as Mr. DiNozzo's next of kin?"

"Yes...yes, I am," Gibbs replied impatiently as he hastily shook Dr. O'Brien's hand. "What's going on with Tony?"

"Would you like to sit down?" Dr. O'Brien asked kindly as he eyed the others who had all gathered around Gibbs. "Or perhaps go somewhere we could speak more privately?"

Gibbs had to fight his inner urge to shake the doctor and make him hurry up and just tell him what was wrong with his agent, "No...no, I don't need to sit down. Please, just tell me...Its fine for them to listen. They are family."

"Very well..." The doctor wished he had better news to relay. "Right now, Mr. DiNozzo is in critical condition. He sustained severe blunt head trauma and has not yet shown any signs of regaining consciousness."

"But he will regain consciousness, right?" Gibbs asked, trying with everything he had to remain in control of his emotions. "Its just a matter of time?"

"Hopefully, he will," Dr. O'Brien said after a brief hesitation. "Unfortunately...there are no guarantees. There are other injuries, as well...a broken right ankle and numerous cuts and bruises, but without a doubt, the head injury is our greatest cause for concern."

"He won't...he...he's not going to die, is he?" Abby interrupted. She had been listening to the doctor with a growing sense of horror, unable to believe any of this was happening. This was Tony they were talking about, always joking and seemingly having a ready quip for every occasion. Things like this just didn't happen to him. "He wasn't even on duty..." she whispered, leaning her head on McGee's shoulder as he put his arm around her comfortingly.

"You need to hope for the best...but be prepared for the worst," the doctor answered with a grim expression on his face. "'There's just no way of knowing right now."

"Can...can we see him?" Gibbs asked. He desperately needed to get to Tony's side. He needed to see the younger man and assess the damage for himself.

"Soon," Dr. O'Brien said with a nod as his eyes traveled over the small gathering of people, listening to him so anxiously. "We are going to be transferring him to the ICU. Only two of you will be allowed to visit at a time. As it is getting late, you'll need to keep your visits brief, as well. Visiting hours are over, but you will be able to see him."

Gibbs shook his head. "That won't do. I need to stay with him, Doc. That man is like a son to me...I have to stay with him..."

The doctor nodded, without hesitation. "Of course. You can stay, if you'd like, Mr. Gibbs, but just one visitor is permitted to stay overnight in the ICU. I'm going to get back to Mr. DiNozzo now. I will send someone to let you know when the transfer has been completed."

The doctor then left the waiting area, whereupon Abby buried her face into McGee's chest, dissolving into silent tears while the rest of the team appeared shell-shocked. "Duck?" Gibbs asked, turning in dismay towards his long-time friend.

Ducky shook his head slowly. "I don't know, Jethro...head injuries are very tricky...there's really no way of knowing anything until the dear boy awakens."

"It does not sound good," Ziva stated, almost to herself, but they all heard her.

"You will not do that!" Gibbs turned on her, immediately enraged. "You will NOT give up on him...if you can't be supportive, stay away from him, Ziva!"

Ziva looked up at Gibbs, shocked at the man's sudden rage which had flared so quickly. "I am not giving up on him, Gibbs," she protested. "I would never do that."

"Jethro, calm down," Ducky placed his hand on Gibbs' shoulder and patted it gently. "I understand that you've been thrown by this news, as we all have, but no one is giving up on Anthony. We're all just trying to process what we just heard."

Abby pulled back from McGee and turned her tear-stained face towards Gibbs. "Tony will get through this. He's a fighter. You know he is."

Gibbs stared back at Abby for a long moment, then turned to face Ziva who was watching him with an unwavering gaze. "I'm sorry, Ziva," he said quietly. "I know you would not give up on Tony." He felt deeply shaken inside and for a moment felt envious of Abby's ability to wear her heart on her sleeve and display her emotions so openly and unapologetically. He could not do that. He needed to stay strong for his team and especially for Tony.

xxxxx

Mercifully, a nurse finally came to inform them that the transfer had been completed. They made their way to the ICU waiting room and Gibbs told Abby and McGee to go in first. He didn't think Abby would have been able to wait much longer.

"Thank you, bossman," Abby said as she kissed Gibbs' cheek. She and McGee then made their way into the ICU where they were directed to Tony's cubicle. Abby gasped softly when she first caught sight of him, her eyes once again filling with tears. "Oh my God..." she whispered as she found herself leaning back against McGee for support.

"Its okay, Abby," McGee said, though he too was inwardly rattled by Tony's appearance. The agent was hooked up to a number of monitors with wires seemingly everywhere. Tony's face was also badly battered and bruised and his right ankle was in a cast.

"We...we should talk to him," Abby said, pulling on all of her inner strength to get her through this. She took a deep breath as McGee nodded encouragingly at her, then she walked over to Tony's side and lightly wrapped her fingers around his hand. "Oh Tony..." she began, her eyes openly distressed. "I can't believe this happened to you. I'm so, so sorry...You're going to be okay though. You're going to pull through this. I know you can do it and we're all going to be here for you. You just...you have to fight really hard. You need to fight to come back to us."

She beckoned to McGee then who joined her then looked down at Tony who didn't even really look like Tony. It wasn't just the visible wounds on his face, it was the vulnerability he now displayed. "Hey Tony...Probie here," he said, his voice wavering slightly. "If there's anything you ever wanted me to do for you, no matter how embarrassing, now would be the time to ask...ju...just open your eyes right now and let me know..." They stood there waiting, mentally willing Tony to open his eyes and laugh at them, tell them he was fine and they needn't have worried, but he didn't move a muscle. The only sounds they heard were the beeps of the various monitors.

"We should go," Abby stated reluctantly after a few more minutes. She knew the others wanted to see Tony as well. She leaned down and tenderly kissed his forehead, and smoothed her hand back through his hair. "We love you, Tony," she whispered to him. "Always remember that..."

"Hang in there, Tony," McGee said quietly. "We...we're all pulling for you. You're going to be okay."

He then put his arm around Abby and the two left the ICU cubicle, clearly devastated by Tony's condition, each of them praying that he would make it through the night.

xxxxx

The looks on Abby and McGee's faces had only served to increase the anxiety of the other team members who were still awaiting their turns to see Tony. Now, Ziva stood looking down at him, a myriad of emotions on her face. She couldn't get any words out at first. She was well aware of the seriousness of the situation, that it was entirely possible she would never hear Tony's voice again, listen to him gloat or see him laugh at the success of his newest joke or prank. She could feel tears beginning to form and she blinked her eyes hastily. She would not cry. That was not what he needed from her. "Hello, Tony..." She was finally able to force the words out of her mouth, but then stared down at him silently again, unsure of what to say. After a few long moments, she spoke again. "I...I know how strong you are...We all do. You will not let this keep you down. You will come through this, Tony...you have to..." Only at the end did her resolve falter and a single teardrop trailed down her cheek. She then stood aside for Ducky who made his way to the stricken agent's side.

"Dear, dear boy...I dare say this is not how you would have chosen to close out the year. But I have faith that you will come out of this on the winning side, Anthony. We are all here for you and will support you in whatever way we can, You just sleep right now and give yourself time to recover, but rest assured that we will be here waiting for you whenever you are ready to come back to us..." Ducky affectionately patted Tony's shoulder and then turned back to Ziva. "Jethro is very anxious to see Anthony...Are you ready?"

Ziva nodded as she went back to Tony's side then bent down to place a gentle kiss on his cheek. "We will be back soon, Tony," she said softly.

xxxxx

Gibbs watched Ducky closely when the older man and Ziva returned to the waiting room, but he could read nothing from his expression. "You all should go home...try to get some rest," Gibbs said.

"I don't want to go home, Gibbs," Abby protested. "We need to be here...just in case..." She met Gibbs' gaze, her own eyes sad and expressive.

"You should go, Abby," Gibbs said. "I've got to get in there now...I won't leave him. Come back in the morning. If anything happens..." he trailed off, not actually wanting to verbalize the rest of that particular thought.

"If he wakes up, you'll call?" Abby asked, gazing at Gibbs intently. "If there are any changes at all?"'

Gibbs nodded. "I will, Abby...I promise."

"Okay..." She went to him them and wrapped him in a tight embrace which he returned. Gibbs found that he needed the contact as much as Abby did. After a few moments, he gently pulled away from her.

"I've got to go...I'll see you all in the morning." He then turned away from them and slowly walked into the ICU. When he reached Tony's cubicle, he walked to his agent's side and in spite of everything, still found himself unprepared for Tony's condition. "Oh...damn, DiNozzo..." he whispered. How had his plans for a simple New Year's Eve party turned out this way? Gibbs knew that sudden tragedies happened every day, had already experienced it himself in the worst way possible, but with Shannon and Kelly, he had found out after the fact. This was very different.

Even though it wasn't the first time he had stood by Tony's bedside, Gibbs now felt totally at a loss...helpless. When Tony had suffered from the plague, at least he still been able to respond to him, had readily done his best to follow Gibbs' order that he would not die. This time, Tony was silent and battered in a way Gibbs couldn't even fathom. However, he had to believe that somewhere, down deep inside the younger man was aware of his presence and somehow knew that he was there. He pulled the chair by the bed as close to Tony as possible then sat down, clutching his hand tightly in his own. "DiNozzo?" His voice cracked and he shook his head inwardly cursing. He would not do that. He needed to stay strong and in control. "Listen...I know you can hear me...You are going to pull through this, Tony. Don't you even dare think about the alternative. You're going to wake up and give us hell for making you go get that damn Chinese food."

This time there would be no head slap as Gibbs repeated the order he had given so many years ago. Instead, he lightly rested his hand on Tony's head, and managed to keep his voice strong and steady. As he uttered the familiar words, he inwardly prayed they would prove to be true. "You will not die..." He stared at Tony's bruised face, waiting for the tiniest movement, a blink of an eye or twitch of Tony's lips, to acknowledge his command, but there was nothing. "You will not die."


	3. Chapter 3

AN: Thank you all so much for the overwhelming support you have given this story. I can't tell you how much it means to me. A special thanks for the anonymous reviewers who I was unable to thank personally: ab, AnonymousNCISFan, Janet Brown, Lilithkv, and Maggie.

Now, here's the next chapter. I have a feeling I might lose some readers with the path I've chosen here, and I understand if that's the case. As always, I claim no real medical knowledge so please forgive any errors that might occur Also...yeah, its another cliffhanger – sorry about that ;)

Now, on with the story.

xxxxx

The night passed excruciatingly slowly and Gibbs noted no change at all in Tony's condition. "Not a very good way to start the new year, is it?" he commented as he gently squeezed Tony's hand, hoping for some kind of a response in return. There was nothing though. "Can you hear me, DiNozzo?" he asked quietly, but Tony never moved at all. Gibbs knew there was no way of telling when he would regain consciousness. He refused to even consider the possibility that he wouldn't wake up. As far as he was concerned, that just wasn't even an option. "That's okay, Tony...You just wake up when you're ready. I'll be right here waiting when you do."

"Good morning, Agent Gibbs," Dr. O'Brien greeted the agent as he made his way to Tony's bedside and began thumbing through his chart. "Did you manage to get any sleep at all?"

"Maybe a little," Gibbs said, shrugging carelessly. Sleep was the last thing on his mind at the moment.

Dr. O'Brien looked up from the chart and studied Gibbs thoughtfully. "Running yourself into the ground won't help him," he stated quietly. "I've seen many family members who've done it and trust me, it only makes bad situations worse."

"I can take care of myself," Gibbs replied, not particularly in the mood for a lecture.

The doctor shook his head and turned his attention back to the chart, making a couple of notations before putting it down and beginning to examine Tony. "Did you notice any changes during the night?" he asked as he flashed a penlight into Tony's eyes to examine his pupils.

Gibbs shook his head. "No...I haven't noticed anything at all." He never took his eyes off the doctor as he continued his examination, but the doctor kept whatever he was thinking carefully masked and Gibbs couldn't tell a thing from his expression. "What do you think?" he asked after the doctor ended his exam and scribbled a few more notes in Tony's chart.

"Its encouraging that he hasn't gotten any worse," Dr. O'Brien began. "Of course, I would feel better if he showed some signs of regaining consciousness, but everyone has a different timetable."

Gibbs sighed softly. He hated seeing Tony like this, so quiet and still. Of course, it would be an unnatural state for anyone in this condition, but for his agent who was usually so talkative and full of life, it seemed even more so. "So...he could be like this for a really long time..."

"Well, of course its possible, but we really have no way of knowing. Talk to him, let him know you're here. Its been known to help. He seems to have a lot of support as well, which is also important. These things might not seem like a lot, but they can make a whole lot of difference in a patient's recovery." He hesitated briefly then went on. "I know you don't want to hear it, but its important that you get some rest, try to eat properly and keep hydrated.. It won't help him if you get sick, yourself."

"I don't get sick, Doc," Gibbs said with a faint smile, but then turned serious again. "I'll do my best. You don't have to worry about me."

"Okay," said Dr. O'Brien. He didn't really know what else to say. He had seen all kinds of patients and families in every imaginable situation. He knew he couldn't force Gibbs to take care of himself, but he would at least do his best to encourage the man to do so. "I'll be back later on today, and of course, if there are any changes, let a nurse know immediately and I'll be paged."

"Thanks, Doctor," Gibbs said, watching as the doctor left the room. He then settled back in the uncomfortable chair to continue his vigil.

xxxxx

"Hi Gibbs," Abby said softly as she entered Tony's ICU cubicle. She was carrying a plastic bag and a cup of Gibbs' favorite coffee, which she handed to him. "How is Tony doing?"

"No change, Abs," Gibbs said as he took a sip of the hot coffee and smiled. "Thanks for this. I can definitely use it."

She eyed him skeptically. "You know...I'd be more than happy to stay with Tony overnight and I'm sure the others would be willing to take turns as well. I know that you're Superman, but even superheroes can't stay awake indefinitely. You're going to have to sleep at some point..."

"Already heard this from the doctor, Abs. Its not like I've been here for days. Its only been since last night. I think its a little bit soon for everyone to be going on about it."

"I just care about you."

"I know that," he said, "but you don't need to worry. I'm fine."

She sighed then turned her attention to Tony, forcing a bright smile onto her face and an upbeat tone to her voice. "Good morning, Tony. Its Abby. I really miss seeing those beautiful eyes of yours. It would be great if you could open them for me...no pressure though. I understand if you're not ready to do that yet." She opened up the bag she was carrying and pulled out Bert. "I brought Bert to keep you company." She put the stuffed hippo by Tony's side and placed his hand on top of it. "He's great at making me feel better when I'm not at my best. I hope he can do the same for you."

"He hasn't moved at all?" she whispered, turning her head to look at Gibbs. "Nothing?"

Gibbs shook his head. "No...nothing yet, but that doesn't mean anything. He could wake up at any time."

She nodded as she absently bit her lip. "Timmy came here with me. I'll go switch off with him so he can come in to see Tony."

Gibbs shook his head hastily as he got to his feet. "I didn't realize McGee was here, Abby. You should have said something. I'll take a little break so the two of you can visit with him."

"We didn't mean to come in and chase you off. We just wanted to see how he was doing."

"Its okay, Abby," Gibbs said as he started on his way out of the cubicle. He couldn't be selfish about visiting Tony. The others cared about him too. "I'll send him in."

He walked out of the ICU and found McGee sitting in the waiting room, looking through a magazine. "Hey boss," McGee said as he looked up at Gibbs. "How's Tony? Is he any better?"

"No...there hasn't been any improvement yet," Gibbs replied. "But he hasn't gotten any worse either, so that's a good thing."

McGee nodded in agreement, though he couldn't help but feel disappointed that Tony hadn't made any progress yet.

"Why don't you go in to see him?" Gibbs suggested. "I'm going to take a little break."

"Are you sure?" McGee asked doubtfully.

"Yeah, I'm positive. I know he'd like to see you." Gibbs was trying hard to believe that somewhere, deep down inside, Tony knew that they were there with him and could feel how much they all cared about him.

"I won't be long..."

"Its alright, McGee. I've been here all night. Take your time." Gibbs watched as the young man left the waiting area and then began to pace back and forth. He was not a patient man and hated all this waiting. It was torture not having any idea when Tony would wake up and what his condition would be when he did so.

xxxxx

Ducky paused by the entrance to the ICU waiting room, his eyes following Gibbs' nervous pacing. "Good morning Jethro. I've brought you some coffee, but it seems someone else had the same idea," he indicated the cup in Gibbs' hand.

"Hey, Duck. Thanks. I can never have enough coffee. Abby and McGee are in with Tony now."

"And how is young Anthony today?"

"No change," Gibbs replied as he looked back at the other man searchingly. "Duck...What do you really think about all this?"

"I wish I could tell you what you want to know, but..."

Gibbs didn't wait for him to finish. "I know you can't be certain, but you know a lot more about this kind of thing than I do. Surely you have an opinion?"

"I've seen and read about many such cases, with all sorts of outcomes, varying from complete recoveries to those patients who remain in such states indefinitely."

"That won't happen," Gibbs retorted sharply. He couldn't bear to think of his agent being like this for a long period of time. "Tony WILL wake up."

"You're the one who asked the question, Jethro," Ducky explained patiently. "I'm just telling you what I know. Anthony is very strong. I, too, believe that he will come through this."

Gibbs nodded and took a small sip of his coffee. "Its just so damn hard seeing him this way..."

"I know it is, Jethro." Ducky put a comforting hand on Gibbs' shoulder. "I know it is."

xxxx

Not surprisingly, Ziva arrived at the hospital shortly after Ducky and the team members began taking turns with their visits, throughout the day. Inwardly, Gibbs cursed the two at a time visiting rule. He understood why it needed to be enforced, but that didn't mean he had to like it. He wanted the others to be with Tony, knew it was a positive thing. He just couldn't help resenting the time he had to spend away from him. As night came, with still no change in Tony's condition, Abby and Ducky managed to persuade Gibbs to accompany them to the cafeteria to have something to eat. The sandwich was tasteless and Gibbs felt like he was eating sandpaper, but he managed to force it down, if only to stop the others from worrying about him.

After they ate, they headed back to the ICU. Ziva and McGee were still in with Tony, so they each took a seat in the waiting room. "I don't suppose you'd consider going home to get some sleep tonight, Jethro?" Ducky asked, his eyes concerned as he looked at his friend. "I would be quite happy to stay with Anthony."

Gibbs shook his head stubbornly. "I'm staying here."

"You can't keep on like this."

"I'm staying."

"Its no use, Ducky," Abby said with a sigh. "I tried to get him to let me stay with Tony tonight. He won't budge."

"This isn't over," Ducky stated. He wasn't going to allow Jethro to make himself ill over this. "It will be addressed again tomorrow."

Gibbs was saved from having to respond as Ziva came back into the waiting room. He could tell by her expression that Tony was no better. He got to his feet and faced the members of his team. "I just want to thank you for being here today...I know Tony would tell you the same thing, if he could."

"You don't need to thank us, Gibbs," Abby said, standing and throwing her arms around him. "Tony is our family. There's nowhere else we'd rather be."

"I appreciate that, Abs." Goodbyes were then said and Gibbs went in to take McGee's place, feeling somewhat relieved that it was just him and Tony again. He really did appreciate all the time his team had spent with Tony, but at least now he could let his guard down a little bit. "You have yourself a good night, Tony," he said as he gently brushed his hand back through Toy's hair. "Don't you worry about a thing...I'm going to be right here, watching over you...

xxxxx

Gibbs was in a semi-awake state, almost appearing dazed, when the first heartening sign took place at 8 a.m., the following morning. Tony's thumb began to move under Gibbs' hand, accompanied by a soft moan and barely discernible turn of his head. "Tony?" Gibbs was fully awake in an instant, immediately pressing the call button. "Tony? Can you hear me?"

Tony moaned again and muttered something unintelligible as Gibbs eagerly squeezed his hand. "Come on, Tony...wake up for me. I know you can do it."

"Agent Gibbs? You called?" Peggy, the current nurse on duty, came into the room.

"He's starting to wake up," Gibbs told her, an excited smile on his face. "Can you page Dr. O'Brien?"

She nodded her head, smiling back at Gibbs She had seen how dedicated this man was to the patient lying there and was glad that things might possibly be turning in their favor. "I'll do that right away."

"Tony...You're doing really great," Gibbs said encouragingly. "Now, maybe you can open your eyes for me? Come on, Tony...try."

After a bit more of movement and murmuring, Gibbs was finally rewarded as the younger man's eyelids began to flutter. Then, after a few moments, his eyes opened. "Hey," Gibbs grinned as a huge feeling of relief swept through him. "Welcome back. How are you feeling?"

Tony stared back at Gibbs, looking utterly bewildered. From the look on his face Gibbs could tell he was in pain. "Your head hurting?" he asked sympathetically.

Tony managed a slight nod, then licked his lips, which were painfully dry and cleared his throat. With some effort, he finally managed to speak, his voice very hoarse. "Thir...thir...thirsty."

"Yeah, I can imagine you are," Gibbs said, nodding understandingly. "The doctor will be here in a minute. I'll ask him if its okay for you to drink. You have no idea how worried I've been. All of us have. Everyone will be so happy to see you're awake."

Tony just stared back at Gibbs, not speaking, then his eyelids began to droop. "No...no. I know you're tired, but you need to stay awake until the doctor gets here." When Tony's eyes closed, Gibbs pinched the flesh on his arm, causing Tony to open his eyes again and look at Gibbs with mild reproach. "I'm sorry, Tony...but you need to stay awake...just a little bit longer."

Mercifully for Gibbs, Dr. O'Brien came into the cubicle at that moment. "Agent Gibbs? I hear our patient is starting to come around?"

"Yeah, yeah he is...he said he's thirsty. Is it okay if I give him some water?"

"Yes, that's fine," Dr. O'Brien said with a nod as he took out a penlight. "I'm just going to look at your eyes now," he explained gently to Tony as he examined them. "Good, good. You're doing very well." He then waited for Gibbs to put a straw to Tony's lips so he could drink a few sips of water.

"He's fading fast, Doc," Gibbs commented. "You'll be able to rest soon, Tony."

"I'd like to ask you a few questions now," the doctor said softly. "Then you'll be able to go back to sleep. Do you understand?"

Tony nodded, though he was visibly struggling to keep his eyes open.

"Do you remember what happened to you?" Dr. O'Brien asked.

Tony hesitated, then shook his head with a slight frown.

"That's okay," the doctor reassured him. "Do you know where you are?"

"Hos...hospital?" Tony asked, his voice tentative and uncertain.

"Yes, that's right. You're in a hospital." Dr. O'Brien smiled encouragingly. "Now, can you tell me your name?"

Tony hesitated again and appeared to be pondering the question very hard before he spoke. "To...Tony?"

Gibbs grinned, happy and relieved at how well his agent appeared to be doing. "You're doing great, Tony, good boy."

"Can you tell me your last name?"

Tony stared back at the doctor silently and unconsciously began squeezing and releasing the stuffed toy next to him, his eyes growing distressed.

"Tony...Do you know your last name?" the doctor asked again.

Looking nervous and very upset, Tony shook his head. "No..." he whispered, appearing on the verge of tears. "I'm tired..." He then closed his eyes and this time he was allowed to have some much needed sleep.

tbc...

AN2: I know, I know. Its been done before and it might not be all that realistic but I really wanted to go with this storyline. Hope you'll stick with it :) As always, thanks for reading.


	4. Chapter 4

I can't begin to tell you how much all your encouraging comments and nice words have meant. I really appreciate it. Also, thanks to the anonymous readers who I couldn't reply to: Janet Brown, luzma, Paige, mstictac, and AnonymousNCISFan. Here's the next chapter. Thanks for reading. Hope you enjoy it :)

xxxxx

"I don't understand," Gibbs said, looking puzzled. "He remembers his first name, but not his last name? That doesn't make sense, does it?"

Dr. O'Brien hesitated then slowly shook his head. "I don't believe he remembers his first or last name."

"Yes he does," Gibbs insisted. "You heard him. He said his name was Tony when you asked him."

"He was unsure though and you called him by his name earlier. I believe that's the only reason he was able to come up with it," the doctor explained gently.

Gibbs mulled over what the doctor said then met his eyes. "Okay...maybe that's true, but you really don't know for sure. You're just speculating. He just regained consciousness after 36 hours and he was exhausted. Isn't it possible he was just tired and confused?"

"Yes. Yes, its possible," Dr. O'Brien admitted with a nod, though he wasn't optimistic. "We'll talk to him more when he wakes up again. Speaking of which...now that he's regained consciousness, would you consider going home to get some rest?"

"Sorry, Doc...I need to stay here," Gibbs replied. Having dealt with memory loss himself in the past, he had a good idea of the vulnerability and sense of loss his agent could be dealing with. He didn't want him to face that on his own.

"Fine." Dr. O'Brien knew a stubborn man when he saw one and Gibbs definitely fell into that category. "If he continues to do well, we'll see about getting him transferred into a regular room later on today." At least then, Gibbs could be made more comfortable and maybe a cot could be moved in. The ICU cubicles were small and designed to maximize the efficiency of dealing with critically ill patients, not for the comfort of prolonged visitations. "Its still early...Try to get some sleep if you can."

"Thanks...I'll try." Gibbs said. Dr. O'Brien then left and Gibbs settled himself back into the chair as best as he could.

xxxxx

The first thing he became aware of was a pounding in his head as he slowly opened his eyes. Tony gazed at the unfamiliar man dozing in the chair by his bed and struggled to remember who he was. His earlier concern made it obvious he cared about him, but he had no memory of him whatsoever. What was wrong with him? Why was everything such a blur? He was startled by the sudden appearance of a woman approaching his bedside. She had dark ponytails and a black collar around her neck, along with a spiderweb tattoo which he stared at in fascination.

"Oh my God, Tony, you're awake!" she squealed as she rushed to his bed and hurled herself at him, remembering at the last moment that he had unseen cuts and bruises and she needed to be careful. She hugged him gently, but Tony felt himself tensing under the sudden embrace from this odd-appearing stranger.

"What's the matter?" she asked as she pulled away from him. "Did I hurt you?"

He shook his head and just stared back at her silently.

"I don't think he remembers you, Abs." Gibbs had awoken in time to witness their interaction and it was obvious how uncomfortable Tony was.

"What?" Her eyes widened as she considered this newest development. "Really? Tony, you don't know who I am?"

He shook his head again.

"Does he know you?" she asked, turning towards Gibbs.

"Why don't we ask him that?" Gibbs suggested quietly, leaning in a little closer to his senior field agent. "Hey, Tony...do you remember who I am?"

Tony focused on the man, trying hard to recall him, but it just seemed to make his head hurt more and he finally shook his head, frustration evident on his face.

"Its okay," Gibbs said, patting his shoulder. "Don't worry about it."

"Can't he talk?" Abby whispered to Gibbs.

"Yes, he can talk and he can hear too," Tony snapped as he glared at her.

"I'm sorry," Abby said, looking subdued. "I didn't mean to upset you."

"You...you're not my girlfriend, are you?" he blurted out. He didn't think he was married because he didn't have a ring, and he couldn't imagine that they were romantically involved.

"No, I'm not your girlfriend," Abby said, a hurt look in her eyes. "But you don't have to say it like it would be such a horrible thing."

"Abby," Gibbs said sharply. He stood up and put his arm around her as he began to guide her out of the cubicle. "I'll be right back, Tony." Gibbs didn't miss the lost look on Tony's face as he ushered Abby out to the waiting room. McGee was sitting there and watching them with open curiosity on his face.

"This isn't about you," Gibbs told Abby, gazing at her intently.

"I know it isn't, Gibbs, but he just..." she shook her head. "He acted like he hates me."

"Tony's awake?" McGee asked, smiling widely. "That's great news. How is he?"

"He doesn't remember anything," Abby said, looking at McGee with obvious dismay in her eyes. "He doesn't even know who we are."

"Amnesia?" McGee asked, looking towards Gibbs who nodded.

"There's no place for hurt feelings here, Abby," Gibbs stated. "If you can't keep your emotions under control, you need to stay away from him right now. We're all just strangers to Tony. He's just woken up in a hospital, hurt, with no memories of us. Do you have any idea how overwhelming that has to be?"

"You're right, Gibbs," Abby said, "I...I'll do better. I promise. Its just, I was so worried and then so happy to see him awake, I just let my emotions get the best of me..." She shook her head contritely. "I didn't handle it well. It won't happen again."

Gibbs nodded as he kissed her cheek. "Okay. Give me a few minutes alone and then I want you to come in, McGee."

"Me? Are you sure about that?" McGee asked, looking a bit surprised.

"Yes, I'm sure," Gibbs replied. "We have no idea what could trigger Tony's memory so I'd like to see how he reacts to you, okay?"

"Sure, boss," McGee said with a nod. "I'll be in soon."

"Thanks," Gibbs said before he headed back in to the ICU.

xxxxx

Tony laid still as he stared up at the ceiling. He felt kind of bad that he had upset that woman, but he also was relieved that she and the guy who'd been watching over him had left. At least if he was alone, he didn't have to feel like some zoo animal on display. His relief was short-lived though as the man came back into his room.

"You know...you don't really have to stay here with me," Tony stated as his eyes followed Gibbs.

"Trying to get rid of me?" Gibbs asked, a faint smile on his lips.

"No..." Tony replied unconvincingly. "Is that woman..." What was it he had called her? "Abby? Is she okay?"

"Yes, she's fine," Gibbs said reassuringly. "She didn't mean to upset you."

"She didn't...I'm not upset..."

Gibbs just nodded, thinking it would be good to just go along with Tony for the time being to try to get a sense of how he was doing and what his mental state was.

"So...who are you anyway?" Tony finally voiced the question he'd been keeping inside. "Are you my father?"

Gibbs couldn't help feeling somewhat startled by Tony's assumption, though it actually made sense that he would think that was the case. "No...no, I'm not your father, Tony. My name is Leroy Jethro Gibbs. I'm actually your boss...and your friend."

Tony nodded as he considered that and was about to ask what their actual jobs were when a new man walked into the cubicle. He was young and appeared extremely nervous. "Hi...hi, Tony," he said offering his hand which Tony shook tentatively. "I'm Tim...Tim McGee. Its nice to meet you...I mean I've already met you, its just that you haven't met me...I mean you have met me, but I guess you don't remember that, do you?"

Tony couldn't help but smile. There certainly wasn't anything intimidating about this guy. "Its nice to meet you, Tim."

"You don't have to call me Tim...you can just call me McGee."

"Why would I do that?" Tony asked. "Isn't it kind of rude to call you by your last name?"

"Uh..." Tim wasn't sure what to say and looked to Gibbs for help.

"Its just kind of a habit we've gotten into with our jobs," Gibbs explained. "No one takes it personally."

"Speaking of jobs," Tony began slowly. You still haven't told me exactly what our job is..."

"We're agents," Gibbs said. "We work for an agency called NCIS."

Tony closed his eyes then. His head was throbbing and he felt totally overwhelmed. He had too many questions at this point and didn't even know where to begin. "NCIS? What's that?" he asked, opening his eyes again.

"You're in pain, aren't you?" Gibbs asked, ignoring Tony's question. He could plainly see his agent was hurting and looked utterly exhausted as well. He pressed the call button and Peggy came in almost immediately.

"Hi there," Peggy said, giving Tony a friendly smile. "Its good to see you with your eyes open. How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine," Tony replied and Gibbs rolled his eyes at Tony's response.

"He's not fine. He's hurting."

"Are you in pain, Mr. DiNozzo?" Peggy asked, looking at him kindly.

Tony looked back at her, momentarily startled. It was the first time he had heard his last name. DiNozzo...He turned it over in his mind, trying to find some kind of meaning in it, but it was just a name to him. Finally, he remembered that the nurse had asked him a question. "Maybe a little," he admitted softly.

"Hmm...I'm guessing more than just a little?" she looked back at him knowingly and he could feel his cheeks grow hot under her gaze. She relented then and decided to give him a break. "I'll get you something. You really need to let me know if you're in pain though. There's no need for you to be suffering."

He nodded and gave her a small smile as she left him.

"She's right you know," Gibbs stated.

"Fine, she's right," Tony stated, a bit sullenly. He really wished all these people would just leave him alone, but it didn't seem like they had any intentions of doing so. He shifted in the bed and grimaced as his body rebelled against the movement. He was sore all over and his leg was aching badly as well. He lifted his head up so he could see it and then he saw the cast. Damn. "Is my leg broken?" he asked.

Gibbs nodded. "Your ankle."

"That's just great," Tony muttered. This day just kept getting worse. "What happened to me anyhow?"

"You...you were in a car accident," Gibbs answered, his guilt over the accident coming to the surface once again. "You were hit by a drunk driver on New Year's Eve."

"Oh..." Tony nodded as he took in that latest bit of information and then he was struck with an unnerving thought. "I...I wasn't drinking, was I?" he asked apprehensively.

Gibbs hastily shook his head. "No. You definitely weren't drinking. It wasn't your fault."

"That's good..." He sighed heavily.

Peggy came back in, at that point, and injected some medicine into his IV. "That should make you feel a lot better," she said. "Are you hungry? Lunch will be here a little bit later, but I can get you something to tide you over, if you'd like."

He shook his head. "No...I'm good. Thank you."

"Okay...you can let me know if you change your mind."

"Does he have any restrictions with his diet?" Gibbs asked her.

"No." She shook her head. "You'll be able to bring him in something if that's what you're asking," she said with a smile as she turned to leave, "but you didn't hear that from me."

"How about it, Tony?" Gibbs asked, forcing a smile. "How does pepperoni and sausage pizza with extra cheese sound?"

"No thank you," Tony said stiffly. Gibbs and McGee exchanged a look.

"Is there something else you'd like?" McGee asked. "I can run out and get you something, whatever you want."

"Honestly?" Tony asked, giving McGee a long look and then shifting his eyes towards Gibbs. "I'd really like to be alone right now."

"We're only trying to help, Tony," Gibbs said softly. "I'm sure you have a lot of things you want to know. We can help you with that."

Tony took a deep breath and winced slightly as it caused a stabbing pain to cut through his chest. "I understand that you mean well," he began, "but I'm really tired right now. I'd just like to rest."

"You can rest," Gibbs said. "I won't disturb you."

"You're not getting it," Tony's voice rose and he didn't bother to try to hide the frustration he was feeling. "I can't rest with you here watching me. I know the two of you know me, but I don't know you. You're both just strangers to me. I'm not comfortable with you being here. I really need some time alone...Please." There was a hitch in his voice as he ended his little rant and looked at them pleadingly.

"Okay," Gibbs could see how upset the younger man was getting and didn't want to add to the turmoil he was going through. He beckoned to McGee who quickly went to his side. "We'll go...for a while, but I'll be back later on today." He knew Tony was going to need them at some point, even if he wasn't able to accept that yet.

"Thank you." Tony closed his eyes then and mentally willed the two men to leave. When he opened them again, a few minutes later, he found himself alone. His emotions began to bubble over and he could feel his eyes welling up with unwanted tears. He tried to hold them back, but without success. He hated this. He didn't know anything about his life, what he did, who any of these people were, where he lived...He had no idea who he was. Finally, overcome with the enormity of his situation and utterly exhausted, Tony fell into a troubled sleep.


	5. Chapter 5

Thanks so much to those of you who have taken the time to review :) Your response has been overwhelming and really, really appreciated :) Thanks also to Janet Brown, AnonymousNCISFan, and lfan.

xxxxx

Gibbs wasn't feeling very good about anything when he and McGee got back out to the ICU waiting room. Abby flew over to them right away. "How is he?" she asked anxiously. "Did you tell him I was sorry? Can I go in and see him now?"

"That's not a good idea, Abs," Gibbs said, shaking his head.

"Tony wants some time to himself," McGee chimed in.

"But that's not good," Abby protested. "Tony needs us. He shouldn't be alone right now."

"Its his decision," Gibbs stated. "We're going to respect it."

"But Gibbs..."

"Not now, Abby. Please." Gibbs sighed heavily and slowly started walking out of the waiting room. "I'd appreciate it if you don't try to see him until I think its okay. I'll talk to you soon." He needed to give Tony a little time to adjust to what had happened. Hopefully he would be more receptive when Gibbs went back to see him later on in the day.

xxxxx

Gibbs headed out to the hospital parking area and it wasn't long before he was on his way home. As he was driving, he pulled out his cell phone and pressed the speed dial for Ducky's number. "Hello Jethro," Ducky greeted him, picking up the phone quickly, after just a half ring. "Is there any change in Anthony's condition?"

"Yeah, Ducky...he regained consciousness," Gibbs replied.

Ducky easily heard the guarded tone of Gibbs' voice and knew that something was not quite right. "But?" he questioned.

"But...he has amnesia, Duck..."

There was silence on the other end of the phone and Gibbs knew that Duky was absorbing this latest bit of information, When he spoke again, after a few moments, his voice was as calm and collected as it always was. "These things often prove to be temporary, Jethro. You know of that first hand. How extensive is his memory loss?"

"He doesn't remember anything...nothing at all."

"Oh dear...that's an unusual occurrence. The poor boy must be terribly distraught."

"Yeah, yeah he is and I didn't handle it very well, I'm afraid. Neither did Abby."

"Well, that's understandable. I'm sure you were quite thrown by his condition."

"Its no excuse though...I'm heading home for a while now to give him some time to absorb this."

"Should I go and see him?" Ducky asked. "Perhaps that would help."

"Maybe..." Gibbs considered that thoughtfully then shook his head as if Ducky were there. "I think it would be better if you wait until tomorrow though. Tony wants some time alone...he's just so upset. I think its best to wait."

"Whatever you think, Jethro. I'll abide by your wishes, of course."

"Thanks. I appreciate that. Also, if you don't mind, there's one more thing..."

"Anything. What can I do for you?"

"Do you mind giving Ziva a call, just to update her?"

"No, I don't mind. I'll do that straight away."

"And tell her its better for her not to go see him today."

"Understood."

"Thanks, I'll give you a call if anything changes. If not, I'll see you tomorrow."

"Goodbye, Jethro. Do try to get some rest before returning to the hospital."

"Bye, Duck." By this time, Jethro had arrived home. He entered his house and wearily sank down onto his sofa. He then took out his cell phone again and pressed redial for the number he had called numerous times over the past couple of days, only to keep receiving messages that the voice mailbox was full. His expectations were low, however, this time, the phone was actually ringing.

"Hello?" the familiar voice of Anthony DiNozzo, Sr. boomed loud and clear over the other end of the phone.

"Mr. DiNozzo...its Agent Gibbs."

"Agent Gibbs? Is something wrong? Did something happen to Junior?"

"He's been in an automobile accident..." Gibbs began.

"He...he's not dead?"

"No, no...he sustained a serious head injury though. He was unconscious for a couple days. I've been trying to reach you, but your phone was turned off..."

"Yes. I'm actually in Monte Carlo right now in the midst of some promising business dealings. So, Junior...is he doing better now?"

"He's conscious, but...he has amnesia. He doesn't remember anything or anybody..."

"Wow, amnesia, huh?" Senior chuckled. "First the plague and now amnesia? Junior certainly runs into some unusual medical conditions, doesn't he?"

Gibbs felt a surge of anger at the other man's casual attitude. There was nothing the least bit amusing about Tony's condition. "He also has a broken ankle and various bumps and bruises...he's in a good deal of pain. I was thinking if you came here...you might help to trigger something in his memory." Gibbs waited with bated breath for Senior's answer. Here was his chance to step up to the plate and take a huge step towards renewing his relationship with his son. His answer proved to be a huge source of disappointment though.

"Any other time I would have been on the first flight to D.C. Right now though...the timing just isn't very good. I can't jeopardize these business transactions. I'm sure Junior wouldn't want that either...well if he could remember me, that is." He chuckled again and Gibbs clenched his fists, fighting against the increasing rage that was burning inside him.

"I wouldn't think anything was more important than your son's health and well being..."

"Oh its not, but he's not going to die and he'll probably get over this amnesia thing. It really doesn't matter if I'm there or not, seeing as he won't know who I am, right?" Distracted, he called out to someone in the background. "Yes, yes...I'll be right there, Lucia. Call from the states. My son has amnesia. Can you believe it?"

"You might be able to help him." Gibbs had a death grip on the phone now. He could just imagine the smug look on Senior's face and if he was there in front of him he would have punched that look right off of him. "He's your son..." Gibbs voice had a note of pleading in it as he appealed to Tony's father one more time. Was he really not going to come?

"Let me see how everything goes here and I'll see what I can do. Maybe I can get out there in a few weeks. Of course, if he happens to take a downward turn, don't hesitate..."

Gibbs could listen to no more as he clicked off his phone. Deep inside, he'd known it was a mistake to call him, but he had done it for Tony, hoping there was some shred of decency in his father that would shine through and that he would want to help his son. He should have known better. "Bastard." He grabbed an empty beer bottle that was sitting on his coffee table and hurled it against the wall, shattering it into countless tiny pieces. "Damn selfish bastard."

xxxxx

As much as he had wanted to just lose himself in a long sleep, Tony awoke again after sleeping for only about an hour. A perky-appearing girl, who didn't look a day over 16, brought in a lunch tray and he lifted the plastic dome from the plate to see what was beneath it. There was a turkey sandwich, some chips, a small container of fruit and a bowl of chocolate pudding with a dollop of whipped cream on top. There was also a can of ginger ale. He wasn't really hungry, but figured he should eat, so he started nibbling on the sandwich. Once he started to eat, he realized he was more hungry than he had thought and he polished off the contents of the tray. He had just finished the last of the pudding when Dr. O'Brien came into cubicle.

"Well, you're eating. That's definitely a positive sign," the doctor said, giving Tony a smile. "How are you feeling?"

"I guess I'm doing okay," Tony replied. "I'd like to lose this catheter though. What are the chances of that happening?"

"I'd say your chances are pretty good actually. I'd like to examine you now, if that's okay."

Tony nodded and patiently submitted to the doctor's ministrations as he checked him out. "I'm quite pleased with your progress," Dr. O'Brien said as he finished up the exam. "How about we get you into a regular room?"

"That would be great. And the catheter?"

Dr. O'Brien chuckled. "We'll get that taken care of as well. If you feel up to it, I can also see about getting a physical therapist in to see you and at least get you sitting up in a chair this afternoon."

Tony nodded, eager to take whatever steps would help to hasten his recovery and get him out of this place.

"Just one more thing," the doctor said. He didn't like asking the question, but knew it had to be done.

"Yeah?" Tony looked at the doctor apprehensively.

"Your memory...have you been able to remember anything at all?"

"No..." Tony shook his head, his expression downcast.

"Its okay," Dr. O'Brien patted Tony's shoulder encouragingly. "These things take time. I know its difficult, but try not to let it get you down. I'll go make arrangements to get you transferred and to have your catheter removed. Lets just take this one step at a time."

Tony nodded, but he didn't even bother to look up as the doctor left the room. He was okay when he didn't think abut his memory, or rather lack thereof, but when he did, there was no escaping just how really messed up his life had become.

xxxxx

"Damn..." Gibbs groaned as his eyes opened and he realized he had somehow managed to fall asleep on his sofa and his living room was now pitch black. "What the hell time is it?" he muttered as he slowly sat up. His muscles, already sore from spending hours in the chair by Tony's bedside, rebelled further as a result of the position he had fallen asleep in. He was beginning to feel like a human pretzel. He got to his feet and turned on the light then saw that it was already after five. He had crashed and crashed hard. Shaking his head over how long he had slept, Gibbs headed upstairs, deciding that a hot shower and a change of clothes were definitely in order before returning to the hospital.

A short while later, Gibbs was on his way back to the hospital. On the way, he stopped and got some magazines and a chocolate milkshake for Tony. Remembering that Dr. O'Brien had mentioned possibly transferring Tony from the ICU, he checked with the woman at the information desk and found that to be the case. Tony was now in a regular room on the third floor, room 324. Gibbs took the elevator upstairs and slowly made his way to Tony's room. He couldn't help wondering what kind of a reception he would receive and hoped his agent's frame of mind was at least a little bit better than it had been earlier in the day. He reached Tony's room and hesitated outside the door before he knocked to announce himself and then walked inside. "Hi Tony," Gibbs greeted the younger man who regarded him warily. "How are you doing?"

"I'm fine," Tony answered, looking very uneasy at Gibbs' presence.

"I brought you some magazines...in case you get bored...and a milkshake." Gbbs placed the items on the small rolling table by Tony's bed. "You're looking better...I bet it feels good to be out of the ICU..."

Tony nodded. "Yes it does. Thank you for bringing these..." He took the straw from its wrapper and poked it through the cover of the milkshake then took a long sip. "Mmm...that's good."

"Not a problem." Gibbs stared back at Tony, having a hard time relating this quiet, solemn man with his usually gregarious field agent. "So...can I do anything for you? Get you anything?"

Tony was silent for a few long moments, seemingly mulling over Gibbs' offer. Finally, he nodded slowly. "I guess...I guess I'd like to know some things...if you don't mind..."

"Of course I don't mind. What would you like to know?"

"Do I have any family?" Tony asked.

Gibbs really wished Tony had come up with an easier question to start with. "You don't have any brothers or sisters and your mother died when you were a child. Your father...he's currently out of the country on business."

"Does he know what happened to me?"

Gibbs' first instinct was to lie, but he just couldn't do it. "Yes, he knows...He sends you his best."

Tony looked back at Gibbs, unable to hide the glimmer of disappointment in his eyes. "Isn't he coming?"

"I...he...he isn't sure yet when he can get away."

Tony considered that, then looked back at Gibbs again. "Are my father and I not close?"

Gibbs sighed to himself, having no idea what to say. "Lately, you've been trying to talk more...get together more often..." It sounded lame, even to him.

"But he's not coming...he doesn't care."

"He cares, Tony," Gibbs said. "He just can't get away right now...evidently he's conducting some very important business."

"More important than me?"

Gibbs sighed and didn't say anything. There really wasn't anything he could say to that.

"He doesn't care at all, does he? Don't tell me he does. I'm not stupid. Just because I don't have memories, it doesn't make me stupid."

"I know you're not stupid, Tony," Gibbs began, but Tony wasn't listening.

"I know what a family should do. Members of a family should be there for each other, especially if someone is hurt or in trouble. So, I guess I don't have any family at all..."

Gibbs shook his head. "That's not true, Tony. I'm your family. McGee and Abby, they're family too. Ducky and Ziva, who you haven't seen yet. They're also family. We all care about you a lot."

"So, my only family is people who I work with?" Tony asked. He looked skeptical and not particularly happy about this latest discovery. He also couldn't help but wonder what kind of a person was named Ducky.

"We're a lot more than people you work with. You...you're like a son to me...I know you don't remember right now, but you'll just have to trust me on that."

Tony gazed back at Gibbs, but he didn't look particularly convinced.

"Its true, Tony."

Tony took another sip of his milkshake, appearing very uncomfortable with the direction of the conversation. "Can we just talk about something else, please?"

"Sure...whatever you want," Gibbs responded quickly. "Do you have any idea when they might let you out of here?"

"The physical therapist said we're going to try crutches tomorrow. Hopefully it will only be a couple of days. Not that I even know where I live or anything..."

"You have an apartment, but its probably not the best idea for you to stay there by yourself. There are a lot of stairs in your building and there's no elevator."

"So, what do you suggest I do?" There was an edge to Tony's voice as he asked the question.

"You can stay with me. I have stairs too, but a lot less than your building. If they're too much for you, you can always just bunk down on the couch. Its not as comfortable as a bed, but its not too bad either."

Tony shook his head, looking doubtful. "I don't know...it might not be the best idea..."

"Look, no pressure, okay? If you're not comfortable staying with me, we'll figure out something else. At least give it a try though. You have stayed at my house before."

Tony pondered his limited options for a short time and then finally nodded. "Alright," he acquiesced. "I'll come and stay with you when I'm released...no promises though and like you said, if it doesn't work out, I'm leaving."

Gibbs nodded, taking care to keep his expression dispassionate. Tony was as skittish as a colt. Gibbs knew he was going to have to proceed very cautiously to ensure he didn't scare him off entirely.


	6. Chapter 6

_AN: Thanks, as always for your nice words and encouragement. It is so very much appreciated. Also, thanks to my anonymous reviewers: AnonymousNCISFan, luzma, and Janet Brown,_

_Here's the nest chapter. Enjoy :)_

xxxxx

Tony sighed loudly as he shot another annoyed look at the man sitting by his bedside. It was getting late and he really needed to use the bedpan. He wished that Greg, the physical therapist, had allowed him to start walking that afternoon, so he could just go use the bathroom. However, Tony's brief dizzy spell had thwarted that hope. Greg had left the room, taking the coveted pair of crutches with him. He would be stuck in this damn bed at least until the following morning.

"Something on your mind?" Gibbs asked his agent.

"Its getting late," Tony replied pointedly.

"Yeah, you're right...I guess I should get going," Gibbs said reluctantly. He wanted nothing more than to stay by the younger man's side, but it was very obvious that Tony didn't want him there. He wasn't going to force himself on Tony. That wouldn't help anything. "Is there anything you'd like me to bring you tomorrow?"

Tony shrugged then shook his head. "No thank you."

"You sure?"

Tony nodded silently and bowed his head, staring down at the bed.

"Alright then..." Gibbs gazed at Tony for another long moment, but he had no idea what he could say to make things easier between them. "Feel better, Tony...I'll see you tomorrow. Good night."

"Good night," Tony replied politely, but he never even raised his head as Gibbs left the room.

xxxxx

Disturbing dreams filled with unfamiliar faces and places kept interrupting Tony's sleep and he awoke in the morning feeling exhausted and disoriented. He was so focused on trying to recall the troubling dreams that he didn't even notice that someone was sitting in the chair by his bed until he heard the sound of a throat being cleared. Startled, he turned and saw a woman sitting there. She was attractive with dark hair and eyes and she was openly staring at him. "Good morning, Tony," she said.

"Who are you?" he asked bluntly, not bothering with niceties. He hated being at such a disadvantage. People knew who he was, but they were only strangers to him. It made him feel angry and very off kilter.

"My name is Ziva. We are partners. How are you feeling?"

"Partners?" he asked, unsure exactly what she meant by that.

"Yes, at work," she clarified.

"Oh," he nodded and closed his eyes for a few long moments, wishing that she would leave. When he opened them again though, there she was, still sitting and still staring. "Do you have to stare at me?" he finally snapped as he glared at her. "Its rude."

"Oh...I am sorry...I did not realize..."

"Yeah, nobody does...no one bothers to think about what I'm feeling..."

"That is not true, Tony." Ziva protested. "We are all just very worried. We care about you very much."

He crossed his arms across his chest defensively. "You don't need to worry. As you can see, I'm fine."

She shook her head, her eyes sad. Fine was the last word she would use to describe him.

"Why are you here so early anyway?" he asked with an exasperated huff. "I haven't even had breakfast yet. Doesn't this place have set visiting hours? Don't patients have any rights at all?" He was sick of people traipsing into his room whenever the hell they felt like it. Gibbs stayed late and this Ziva person was here at the crack of dawn. He had no privacy. He was like an animal in a zoo. Everyone coming in to gawk at him. "Is it really so fascinating watching me sleep?"

"I..." She hesitated, unsure of what to say. "I just wanted to see you before I went into work...I wanted to see for myself that you were o...awake." She had started to say okay, but it was very obvious that Tony was not okay. He was far from that.

"Well, now you have. So you can leave."

She nodded as she slowly got to her feet. Ducky had warned her, but it was a hard thing to really fathom until one had witnessed it personally. This Tony was as much a stranger to her as she must seem to him.

xxxxx

"You're doing very well." Greg said encouragingly to Tony as they slowly made their way past the nurse's station. "How are you feeling?" he asked after three more steps. "Ready to head back to your room?"

"Just a little further," Tony said a bit breathlessly, determined to go as far as he possibly could.

"Okay," Greg was pushing a wheelchair as they walked, just in case his overeager patient bit off more than he could chew. Another couple of steps and Tony was panting hard.

"That's enough," Greg said, placing his hand on Tony's back.

"But..."

"Enough Tony. I'm not going to allow you to hurt yourself."

"Fine," Tony slumped dejectedly into the wheelchair, not about to admit how tired the short walk had left him or that he was actually grateful for the wheelchair's presence.

"You should be proud of yourself," Greg said as he started pushing Tony back in the direction of his room. "I know you don't think so, but you did really well for your first time walking."

"Doesn't seem like much of an accomplishment to me," Tony said. Even though he couldn't recall what his life had been like prior to the accident, he was pretty sure it hadn't been sedentary. He didn't like just lying around. It only made him feel bored and restless.

"Well, it was," Greg said as he pushed the wheelchair back through the doorway into Tony's room. "You have to remember you have other injuries as well. If you end up hurting yourself from overdoing it, it'll take you that much longer to recover. Now do you want to get back into bed or would you like to sit up in the chair for a while?"

"I'll sit in the chair," Tony replied. Greg helped him get situated in the chair and then left him after promising he'd be back to walk with him again later in the day. Tony yawned then picked up one of the magazines Gibbs had brought him the night before. He started to flip through it, but quickly lost interest. He was so at a loss as to how he could pass the time, that he found himself wishing for a visitor, which he knew wasn't all that likely since he kept chasing people away. That was the frame of mind he was in when his next visitor came into the room at a little before noon. He looked at the older gentleman with undisguised interest.

"Hello there, Anthony," the man greeted him warmly with a Scottish accent which Tony found to be strangely soothing. "I am Dr. Donald Mallard, but my friends, of which you are one, usually call me Ducky. It is good to see you awake and alert, my boy. I have been quite concerned about your well being."

"Its nice to meet you, Ducky. Have a seat." Tony gestured toward the other chair in the room.

"Thank you, Anthony," Ducky said as he sat down in the offered chair. "I have taken the liberty of bringing us some lunch. It's from Gino's, which is one of your favorite delicatessens." He handed Tony one of two bags which he was carrying.

"Thanks." Tony opened the bag to find a wrapped sandwich, a bag of chips, a big chocolate chip cookie and a can of soda. "I appreciate this."

"Not a problem, dear boy. I made sure to get here before lunch was served. Sometimes hospital food can leave something to be desired."

"It actually hasn't been too bad, but this is definitely much better," Tony said after he swallowed a healthy bite of the pastrami on rye.

Ducky smiled to himself as he took a bite of his own sandwich, quite pleased by Tony's response to him. He had been prepared for a much more hostile reaction based upon the description Ziva had given him of her own visit with Tony, earlier that morning.

"So...you're a doctor?" Tony asked, giving Ducky a curious look.

Ducky nodded. "Yes, I am the chief medical examiner at NCIS."

"A medical examiner? You mean, you work with dead people?" Tony asked, trying not to look appalled.

"Yes, Anthony and you are a part of the team that investigates the deaths," Ducky said with a chuckle.

"That's my job?" Tony asked, his eyes widening. "Investigating dead people?"

"Well, not always deaths. You investigate criminal, terrorist and foreign intelligence threats against the Navy and Marine Corps."

"Yeah? wow..." Impressed by what he thought sounded like a pretty cool job, Tony tried hard to recall anything of what Ducky was talking about, but it was all just a blur. "I wish I could remember," he said, obvious frustration in his tone.

"There's plenty of time for that," Ducky said, reaching out and patting Tony's shoulder. "Its much too soon to let yourself get discouraged over it."

"Do you think I'll get my memory back?" Tony asked, looking at Ducky hopefully.

Ducky hesitated, not wanting to give false promises, but not wishing to dash Tony's hopes either. "Although no one can tell for certain, personally, I do believe that you will regain your memory, Anthony."

"Thanks, Ducky," Tony said softly, giving the older man a small smile. Although he was intelligent enough to know there were no guarantees, he appreciated Ducky's sense of optimism and somehow he felt more comfortable with him than with anyone else who had been to see him so far.

xxxxx

Gibbs hesitated outside Tony's room when he heard the sound of laughter...Tony's laughter. It was a sound he hadn't heard since before the accident...a sound he had been afraid he possibly would never hear again. He knew Ducky had said he was going to bring Tony lunch, but honestly had expected the man to be back at headquarters before now. Evidently, Ducky's visit was going better than anyone else's had gone. Taking a deep breath, he slowly entered Tony's room. Ducky and Tony both looked up as he entered, smiles on their faces.

"Hello, Jethro," Ducky greeted him and then glanced down at his wristwatch. "Oh my...I had no idea of the time. I need to be getting back to work. I'll be back to see you again tomorrow, my boy."

"Actually, I'm probably going to be released tomorrow," Tony said to Ducky. "The doctor said I'm doing really well."

"That's excellent news," Ducky stated.

"So soon?" Gibbs asked, receiving a glowering look from Tony in return. "I mean...I just didn't think...I just want to make sure you're okay..."

"I don't think my doctor would be releasing me if he didn't think I was okay to be released," Tony declared hotly.

Gibbs couldn't help wondering how the mood in the room had shifted downward so suddenly, seemingly just because of his presence. He hated how ill at ease he felt in front of Tony. He couldn't help feeling a twinge of envy towards Ducky's ability to break through Tony's barriers.

"Jethro is just concerned, Anthony," Ducky said, anxious to smooth things over. "He's protective of you. Its nothing to get upset about."

"I'm sorry," Tony said, as he forced himself to calm down. It did seem that Gibbs truly cared about him or he wouldn't be here so often. But for some unknown reason, Tony still felt very uncomfortable in his presence.

"Nothing to apologize for, DiNozzo..." Gibbs said gruffly.

"Are you going to be returning to the office today, Jethro?" Ducky asked, looking at Gibbs.

"Yeah, I'll be back at some point," Gibbs said, nodding. "Need to talk to Leon about a few things." Gibbs had mentioned wanting to take some leave time to stay with Tony, but hadn't realized he would be released from the hospital so soon. He needed to let the Director know the time table.

"Alright then, I will see you a little bit later." He turned his attention back toward Tony. "I'll see you tomorrow, either here or at Jethro's home."

"Okay, thanks for the lunch and the visit, Ducky," Tony said, visibly brightening. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"The pleasure was all mine, Anthony." With a smile and a wave, Ducky then exited the room, leaving Tony and Gibbs alone in awkward silence.


	7. Chapter 7

_AN: I can't believe how long it's been since I've updated this. I'm really sorry, but it couldn't be helped. Real life has been crazy and I just haven't had the time I'd like to devote to reading and writing. So, if anyone is still interested here's the next part. (I'd also like to apologize for my lack of response to feedback – I'm pretty sure I never got the chance to write back to anyone for the last chapter (I don't even remember actually) So for those of you who reviewed, my heartfelt thanks and I'll try to do better. Also, __smithknk1__ brought up the point about Tony likely not being able to use crutches with broken ribs so I changed it to just bumps and bruises as the broken ribs are not really essential to the plot. Okay, I think that's it. __As always, thanks so much for reading _

xxxxx

"So…how are you feeling today?" Gibbs asked, painfully aware of the awkwardness in the room and the way Tony seemed to clam up whenever he was in his presence.

"I'm good…how are you?" Tony answered politely.

"I'm fine…" Gibbs replied. He sat down in the chair that had just been vacated by Ducky and looked over at his senior field agent. "Must feel pretty good to be up and out of bed."

"Yeah, I was up walking earlier," Tony said with a glimmer of a smile on his face.

"That's good…real good," Gibbs stated. He paused then, unsure of what to say and another awkward silence descended heavily over the room.

Feeling just as uncomfortable as he was sure Gibbs felt, Tony decided to at least make an effort. After all, it was obvious he was close with this man, even if he didn't remember it. He was here practically all the time. You just didn't do that for casual acquaintances. "Ducky was telling me a little about my job," he began hesitantly. "Sounds pretty interesting."

"It is," Gibbs said, nodding, grateful for the new topic of conversation. "You're really good at it too. You're my lead agent."

"I hope I'll be able to get back to it sometime soon," Tony said softly, his expression wistful.

"One step at a time. You're nowhere near being ready to go back to work," Gibbs pointed out. "You just need to concentrate on getting better right now. "

"Yeah…yeah, I guess so... Probably wouldn't be of much use on crutches anyhow, right?"

"Not in the field anyway," Gibbs agreed. He couldn't help but feel a tiny bit encouraged that Tony seemed interested in his job and eager to return to it. That was more like the man he knew.

"Yeah well…" Tony trailed off, at a loss as to what to say next. He was rapidly tiring now and cast a longing look at his bed which Gibbs did not miss.

"Do you want to lie down?" Gibbs asked cautiously, fully aware the question was likely to set Tony off. Much to his pleasant surprise though, it didn't and the younger man simply nodded.

"Yes, that would be good."

"Can I help you?" Gibbs asked and again Tony nodded.

Pleased to find Tony a bit more receptive, Gibbs got up from his chair and went over to Tony then carefully supported him as he stood up and maneuvered his body around so he could sit on the edge of his bed.

"Thanks," Tony said, offering Gibbs a faint smile.

"You're welcome," Gibbs replied, watching as Tony got himself situated under the covers and shuffled his pillows around until they met his satisfaction.

"So…I met Ziva today," Tony said after another brief silence had once again developed between the two men.

Gibbs nodded. "Yes, I heard."'

"Oh…I can only imagine what she had to say…"

"She didn't say anything bad," Gibbs defended. "She was just sorry she came here so early. She didn't mean to disturb you. "

"I'm sure she didn't," Tony sighed. "In any case, I wasn't exactly nice to her." He hadn't really been nice to anyone, except Ducky he realized. Then again, maybe he was always a jerk. He wasn't really sure about that.

"Nobody's blaming you, Tony…we know this can't be easy for you."

"Am…am I always like this?" Tony asked, starting to look miserable once again.

"Like what?" Gibbs asked, unsure exactly what he was referring to.

"Moody, nasty…difficult to get along with…" He definitely wasn't proud of it. He just didn't seem to be able to help it.

Gibbs shook his head slowly. "No…no, you like to have fun, joke around, play pranks."

Tony looked at Gibbs incredulously. "I play pranks? That sounds kind of immature."

Gibbs chuckled. "You help lighten the mood sometimes when the team needs it. Sometimes we don't need it and when that happens…well, I slap you back into shape."

"What?" Tony's eyes widened. What kind of a guy was he dealing with here? "Literally? You…you hit me?"

"Head slaps, DiNozzo," Gibbs smirked. "I find it's a good way of getting people back on track. It's always been especially effective with you." Gibbs put his hand up over the back of Tony's head and smacked it with the lightest of touches, observing him closely as he did so.

For a split second, Tony had a sense of déjà vu, but just as quickly it was gone again. "I don't remember," he said softly, hanging his head dejectedly.

"Gonna take some time, DiNozzo," Gibbs said gently. "Trust me, I know how hard this is."

Tony shook his head, still staring down at the bed. "You can't know…"

"Hey." Gibbs put his fingertips under Tony's chin and gently tilted his head upward so that they were facing each other. "I _do_ know. I know, because it happened to me."

"It did?" Tony looked back at Gibbs with heightened interest. "When? How did it happen? Did you get all your memories back?"

"Whoa, slow down," Gibbs said. "It happened a few years ago. I was caught in an explosion. I t wasn't total amnesia, but I lost a big chunk of my life. I did get my full memory back, but it took some time. I know it's hard, but patience is key and you need to try not to force things. Let nature take its course and hopefully everything will come back to you."

"So, I guess there's hope then anyway." Tony nodded and retreated back into silence again.

"There's always hope, DiNozzo." Gibbs couldn't help but wonder at the irony that had his agent so uncharacteristically quiet, while he, himself now found himself playing the more verbose role. He definitely liked it better the other way around. He could see the younger man was having a hard time keeping his eyes open and stood up. "I'm going to head out now and let you get some rest. I could bring you some dinner later on, if you'd like."

"Sure, that would be great, boss."

"What did you call me?" Gibbs asked, slightly startled.

"Boss…" Tony replied warily. "Why? Was that wrong?"

"No…no, that wasn't wrong." Gibbs hastily reassured him. "It's just…you always call me that. Did you remember something?"

Tony pondered the question for a few moments then slowly shook his head. "No…it just came out," he finally said. "I don't really even know why."

Gibbs nodded. "Seems like a good sign," he said softly. "I'll be back in a few hours. You get some sleep, Tony." He then rested his hand on Tony's shoulder and gave it a light squeeze before making his way out of the room to head back to headquarters.

xxxxx

Gibbs returned a little bit after six, toting a pepperoni and sausage pizza with extra cheese. He quietly entered Tony's room and found him to be asleep. Gibbs put the pizza down on the mobile table by Tony's bed and settled himself into the chair, his eyes on his agent. Tony appeared to be sleeping peacefully, at first, but that changed before too long as he began moving restlessly underneath the covers and appeared to be in some distress.

"No…no, it can't be true," he called out, his head moving from side-to-side on the pillow. "Please, no!"

"Tony!" Gibbs stood up and gently shook the younger man's shoulder, trying to ease him out of the nightmare. "Come on…wake up. You're okay."

Tony's eyes opened abruptly and he looked up at Gibbs, his expression a combination of confusion and fear as he shakily ran his hand back through his hair.

"You okay?" Gibbs asked gently, concern evident as he gazed at Tony.

"Yeah…yeah, I'm fine."

"You feel like talking?"

Tony hesitated then shook his head. "Can't…" he replied. "I don't remember anything." The dream was now just a vague blur of colors and images, none of which made any sense to him and which were quickly fading away.

"Alright." Gibbs nodded, watching as Tony nervously played with the blankets, looking troubled. "You feel like sitting up?"

Tony shrugged then nodded as Gibbs pressed the button to adjust the bed into a sitting position. "Thanks," he murmured.

"I brought pizza," Gibbs said, deciding that distraction might be best at the moment. "It's your favorite…" He opened the pizza box and took out a slice, then placed it onto a paper plate and handed it to Tony.

"Thank you," Tony accepted the slice of pizza unenthusiastically then took a bite of it. "Mmm…it is good," he said after he had swallowed the first bite and went on to take another.

"So…how was your afternoon?" Gibbs questioned, taking a slice of pizza for himself and settling back into the chair by Tony's bed.

"It was okay. I slept on and off and took another walk with the physical therapist.

"You still on target to leave tomorrow?" Gibbs asked.

"I am," Tony nodded. "It'll be good to get out of here." Although he was admittedly nervous about venturing out into what was essentially an unknown world to him, he was tired of the restrictions of the hospital environment. He had been finding himself feeling restless throughout the day and anxious to leave, hopeful that something or someone would trigger his memory.

"I'll be here in the morning to pick you up."

"Are you sure?" Tony asked softly. "I…I don't want to put you out any…"

"You're not going to be putting me out," Gibbs stated. "I want to do this. It's all set." Not that Vance was particularly happy about being down two agents, but he had allowed Gibbs the time off after grumbling about it a bit.

"Okay." Tony nodded and the two made small talk for a half hour or so before Gibbs decided to head home. The next day was going to be a big day for Tony and he needed his rest. Gibbs hoped the change in environment would be the key that would help Tony to unlock his hidden memories.

xxxxx

"I brought you some clothes from your apartment," Gibbs said, handing Tony a bag which contained some sweatpants and a sweatshirt. Tony already had his discharge papers in hand and as soon as he changed they would be good to go.

"Thanks." Tony took the bag from Gibbs and placed it down on the bed.

"You need any help?" Gibbs asked, feeling the now familiar feeling of awkwardness between them once again.

"No. I'm good," Tony said, shaking his head.

"Okay then…I'll wait out in the hallway. "Just give a shout out if you need me."

Tony nodded silently and waited for Gibbs to close the door before he began to change. He was able to accomplish the task relatively easily. "I'm all set," he called after he had dressed.

Gibbs came back into the room and handed Tony the jacket he was carrying. "It's cold outside."

"Thanks." Tony put his jacket on then reached for his crutches which were leaning against the wall.

Gibbs quickly shook his head. "Won't be needing those yet. You're getting a free ride out of here."

"I can walk," Tony insisted. "I don't need a wheelchair."

"No sense tiring yourself out. Besides, its hospital policy."

"Okay, fine." Tony rolled his eyes and gave an exaggerated sigh, but remained seated on the bed.

Gibbs barely managed to hold back a smile. "I'll be right back." True to his word, he returned after a few minutes and it wasn't long at all before Tony was safely seatbelted into the passenger seat of Gibbs' car. Then, they were on their way.

xxxxx

"Did the doc give you any prescriptions you need to fill?" Gibbs asked, after they had been on the road for a few minutes.

"Just one for a pain killer. I don't need it though."

"You a doctor now too. DiNozzo?" Gibbs asked, glancing at the younger man for a moment before turning his attention back to the road. "We're filling it. Anyway, I need to get a few groceries. There's a pharmacy at the supermarket." Gibbs had also filled prescriptions for Tony at this particular pharmacy in the past and knew his insurance information was already on file there. Hopefully, it wouldn't take long, but if it did, Gibbs would return later for the prescription after he had gotten Tony settled back at the house. A short time later, Gibbs parked the car in the supermarket parking lot then looked at Tony. "Got the prescription?"

"I'll do it myself." Tony's jaw was set determinedly and his eyes had a slight look of defiance as he stared back at Gibbs.

Not wanting to start the day off on a totally wrong note, Gibbs put the key back into the ignition and backed the car out of the parking space then proceeded to drive the car to the front entrance of the market. "I'll meet you inside."

Tony was surprised, but also pleased as he got out of the car. Gibbs got out also and retrieved the crutches from the back seat, which he handed to his agent. "Pharmacy is inside to the left. They're going to ask you for your address," Gibbs said before giving him the information. "Do you want me to write it down for you?"

"No…no I'm good," Tony mentally repeated the address a few times then slowly began to maneuver his way into the store. Gibbs stood watching him until he was safely inside, then got back into the car and went to park it. When Gibbs arrived at the pharmacy, a few minutes later, Tony was seated in one of the chairs.

"Everything all set?" Gibbs asked.

"Yeah," Tony nodded. "She said it would be about 15 to 20 minutes."

"Okay. You wait here. I'll be back after I get a few things. Anything in particular you want?"

"I'll just come. I don't feel like waiting here."

Gibbs' first instinct was to object, but he didn't want to baby Tony, so he didn't say anything to discourage him. "I'll go get a cart. Be right back." When he returned, Tony was already back on his feet waiting. "Get whatever you'd like," Gibbs instructed as they slowly began to walk through the store. Gibbs watched Tony closely, curious to see what he might choose, but he looked to be overwhelmed by the store and the shelves filled with seemingly endless food choices. Tony didn't pick out anything and he appeared to be tiring rapidly. "Why don't you go see if your prescription is ready?" Gibbs finally suggested, worried that Tony was going to collapse in the middle of the frozen food aisle.

"I…yeah, okay," Tony agreed.

Gibbs fumbled for his wallet then thrust some bills into Tony's hand. "For the co-pay," he explained.

"I have money." Tony said, pulling out his own wallet and showing it to Gibbs. "The nurse gave me my personal effects this morning before I was discharged."

"Oh…okay…" Gibbs shuddered inwardly as he noted some tiny drops of dried blood on the front of the wallet. It brought him back to the night of the accident and how close they had come to losing Tony forever. "You sure you have enough money?"

"I'm sure," Tony answered with a nod.

"Okay…just wait for me up front then," Gibbs said. "Is there anything in particular you'd like me to pick up?"

Tony shook his head. "No thanks. Whatever you get is fine with me." He then turned away and began to make his way back to the pharmacy. Gibbs watched him for a few moments and then went back to his grocery shopping, taking care to pick out things he knew Tony would like…or at least the Tony he had known prior to the accident…

xxxxx

Tony retrieved his prescription then returned to the small waiting area to wait for Gibbs. He found it hard to believe how tired he was after just walking up and down a few grocery store aisles. There was no denying it though. He was wiped out. Sighing heavily, he tilted his head back, leaning against the wall, and very quickly fell asleep.

Gibbs finished his shopping as fast as he could and arrived at the pharmacy a short time later. When he found Tony sleeping soundly, he was struck by how vulnerable he appeared, his skin still extremely pale under the purplish bruises which marred his face. Deciding not to disturb him until it was absolutely necessary, Gibbs brought the groceries out to the car. He then drove to the front of the store before returning to the pharmacy. "Hey Tony," he said softly as he gently shook the younger man's shoulder. "We're all set. It's time to go."

Tony opened his eyes, looking startled for a moment before he got his bearings. He grabbed his crutches and quickly stood up, swaying precariously as he did so. "Hey, you okay?" Gibbs promptly moved to steady his agent, preventing him from falling.

"Yeah…guess I stood up too fast, got a little dizzy." Seeing the worried expression on Gibbs' face, Tony quickly reassured him. "The doctor knows…said I could get dizzy spells and headaches for a while."

Gibbs nodded. "Better now?" he asked, trying not to look as concerned as he felt.

"I'm okay."

"Let's go then. We're parked right out front."

Gibbs walked behind Tony, keeping a watchful eye on him as they slowly made their way out to the car. Tony was aware of the other man's eyes on him and couldn't help but wonder if it was always like this or if it was only the current situation that warranted such attention. They arrived at the car and got in wordlessly. Tony gratefully leaned his head back against the car seat, relieved to be sitting once again. Gibbs started up the car and the two men were silent until Gibbs pulled into the driveway of his house. "Well…here we are. This is where I live." Gibbs watched Tony's reaction closely, anxious to see if the house would prompt his memory in any way at all.

_P.S. I now have an author's page on Facebook under Mulderette. Not much there yet, but hopefully that will change :)_


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